Knitting and spinning at Woods Edge Alpaca Farm

The event barn and shop at Woods Edge Wools Farm in Stockton is a great place for a knitting event.

This friendly little guy walked right up to me at the farm, hoping I had some food pellets to feed him. He's one of about 300 animals on the farm.

The official name is Woods Edge Wools Farm because the Walkers raise alpacas, llamas, yaks and sometimes sheep at this farm in Stockton, but in my mind, it’s always Woods Edge Alpaca Farm. And I love Linda Berry Walker, who started the farm with her late husband decades ago. She’s a long-time expert on fiber arts and has won many prizes with her animals. Today, she runs the farm with her son, Brent, and you can find their stuff in many farmers markets around the state.

On Oct. 14, Linda invited knitters and spinners (and a few crocheters) to come sit on the porch at her event barn and work their crafts all day. It was a lovely, sunny, warm day, perfect for the occasion. Linda has a two-room shop at the front of her barn where you can buy fibers, yarn, completely-made clothes and other farm products like beeswax candles, soaps and finger puppets. It’s open every Saturday and Sunday.

I got to the knit-and-spin event late because I went to church and had lunch before I set out to Hunterdon County. When I got there, the porch was full of interesting women who were crocheting, knitting, weaving and spinning. I pulled up a chair and plopped down next to someone from Union County who volunteers at one of the historic sites. I think she said it was the Miller -Corey Museum in Westfield, but unfortunately, I can’t remember for sure. It was fun hearing some of the stories about the place, though.

Nancy Tully and Chris Anderson from Kennett Square, Pa., were on a personal quest for great yarns in NJ.

Across the steps from me sat Nancy Tully and Chris Anderson from Kennett Square, Pa. They wanted me to be sure to mention they were part of the Brandywine Fiber Arts Guild there. They were on a private yarn crawl through New Jersey that had taken them to The Spinnery in Frenchtown and the silk store in Patterson that is open just one Saturday per month, where they sell cones of silk to knitters and weavers. And they were spending their Sunday with the alpacas and llamas at Woods Edge. They were lovely people, and one of them was crocheting a circular baby blanket (I think it was) that was beautiful.

Kate Wood was weaving while her mom, Donna Lee, was spinning.

A mother-daughter team on the other side of the porch were busy spinning and weaving. Donna Lee Wood from Sumerdale was expertly spinning fibers, and Kate Wood was weaving on an table-top loom. I think there were other spinners earlier, but I went around collecting names and photos at the end of the day, so I missed some of them. They were all having fun, tho.

One of the spinners was my friend Joanne, whom I’d met a few years ago at another spin-and-knit event at Woods Edge. Since then, I’ve run into her at Woods Edge and at the Garden State Sheep and Fiber Festival several times. I always remember her as the woman who buys her SUV based on whether she can get her spinning wheel into the back of it. She’s also a very good knitter.

Pat Dranchak made that beautiful sweater she was wearing.

And finally, I took a photo of Pat Dranchak of Mt. Laurel, who reads this blog (thanks, Pat). She made the sweater she’s wearing.

While I was at the farm, I talked with Linda about organizing a retreat next spring where we bring in a couple of big-name designers to teach classes for a couple of days. People who want can spend the weekend there and stay in a nearby bed and breakfast or a motel in Flemington. Linda said it’s a great idea and she has a big classroom upstairs and lots of info about places to stay. So I’ve been contacting designers. Mary Beth Temple is interested in doing it with us, but we need to get another designer or two on board.

Life is good, and sunny, warm autumn days that surround one with new friends and golden autumn leaves just prove it. That Sunday was one of those perfect days I’ll cherish for a long time.

About Pam MacKenzie

Pam MacKenzie grew up in a real estate family. Her parents were real estate brokers and office managers, and she herself was a licensed agent in the 1970s. But early on, Pam discovered she'd much rather write about the industry than sell. Now in her eighth year as the real estate editor at the Courier News, Pam believes she has the best job at the paper. In this blog, she's on a mission to empower readers to give them a strong understanding of anything and everything that can impact their ability to own a home. And she believes passionately that when you understand the real estate industry in New Jersey, you understand so much more: the education system, economic and racial bias, the way politics works or doesn't work and ecology, to name a few. She invites everybody to leave lots of comments, even when they disagree with her.

One Response to Knitting and spinning at Woods Edge Alpaca Farm

Wow! This is cool! I love knitting, too! This one of my passions. Thanks for sharing such a wonderful experrience with alpaca.

About this Blog

Pam explores local knitting groups and yarn shops, critiques patterns and shares her wisdom on techniques for improving your craft.

About the author

Pam MacKenzie
Our real estate editor, Pam MacKenzie, expresses her creative side in this blog about knitting. Pam learned to knit at age 6, when her friend’s mother made Pam’s doll a dress, and Pam wanted to make more. Her mother wanted her to learn how to sew in high school, but she was afraid of the sewing machines, cutting fabric the wrong way, and the potential that sewing would have for bringing down her grade-point average. Every year, she managed to find a course conflict to avoid sewing classes. But the day after high school graduation, she took her graduation money to a fabric store, bought a kit to make a sweater, taught herself to read patterns and never looked back. These days, she knits a prayer shawl every month, along with sweaters, tote bags, gift bags and other goodies. She also designs many of her projects. Read More About PamE-mail Pam